Movable reed mechanism



E. L. ZACHARY MOVABLE REED MECHANISM March 15, 1938.

Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

March 15, 1938. E. 1.. ZACHARY 2,111,083

MOVABLE REED MECHANISM Filed Aug. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. foe/4e A55 ZACHA E Y XTTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 15 1938 UNITED STATES MOVABLE REED' MECHANISM Edgar Lee Zachary, Central Falls, N. CL, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application August 12,

Claims.

The present invention pertains to fiy shuttle looms and more particularly to the reed controlling instrumentalities of such looms.

In a prior construction of a 100m having a re- 5 ciprocating lay and a reed mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative thereto, reed controlling devices were provided for limiting rearward movement of the reed during the time the shuttle is in flight but releasing the reed. at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay to permit the reed to be moved rearwardly by a trapped shuttle, the controlling devices yieldingly holding the reed and permitting a limited yielding thereof at all times, including the time of beat-up. Such devices have proven to be satisfactory except that they allow some rearward movement of the reed while the shuttle is in flight and this movement, even though slight and positively limited in extent, is found to be a substantial disadvantage.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a fiy shuttle loom having a reciprocating lay and a reed. movably mounted on the lay as aforesaid, and reed controlling devices which shall lock the reed against any movement relative to the lay during the time the shuttle is in flight but release the reed at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay and which shall yielding'ly resist rearward movement of the reed only at the time of beatup.

The aforementioned and other objects of the invention are accomplished in the construction illustrated on the accompanying drawings, of 35 which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of part of a loom having the preferred embodiment of my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view in cross-section illustrating the operation of the mechanism when a shuttle becomes trapped; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the normal operation of the mechanism.

The loom shown on the drawings includes my improved reed controlling devices but is otherwise of usual construction, conventional mechanisms which form no part of the present invention being not illustrated or described. I have, however, shown a part of the loom frame comprising right hand loom side I and left hand loom side 2, a reciprocating lay comprising a lay beam 3 carried by swords 4 and reciprocated toward and from the front of the loom by pitmans 5, a shipping mechanism including a shipper handle t, and a stop rod 1 for operating the shipper handle, all of usual construction.

The warp sheet W feeds forwardly toward the front of the loom, which is toward the right on Figs. 1 and 2, and the warp threads are interwoven with filling thread from a shuttle 8 in 1937, Serial No. 158,770

the usual manner, the shuttle being picked along the lay beam 3 into and out of shuttle boxes such as the shuttle box 9 carried by the lay beam. The picks of filling thread (not shown) which are formed by the shuttle 8 are beaten into the cloth by a reed structure including a reed ID. The reed is mounted on the lay for reciprocation therewith, but is arranged to be movable rearwardly relative to the lay. To this end, the reed structure may include a reed frame comprising a bottom rail l I supported at its ends by brackets such as bracket l2, the lower reed rib being fixed in this bottom rail and the reed frame being pivotally supported on the hand rail l3 as at l4. The pivot I4 is in axial alignment with the top rib i5 of the reed so that the reed may swing rearwardly about the axis of its top rib as shown by Fig. 2.

Rearward movement of the reed frame is controlled by a fiiter l6 which is a bar positioned behind the reed frame in direct engagement with the bottom rail H. The fiiter I6 is fixed to supporting members shown as consisting of rigid arms I! which extend upwardly in back of the lay beam 3. The fiiter is fixed to the upper ends of the members I1 and the members are pivoted toswing rearwardly about an axis extending longitudinally of the lay. Such pivotal movement is preferably provided by fixing the lower ends of the members ll to a shaft l8 which is rotatably supported by any suitable bearings (not shown) on the lay. A dagger I9 is fixed to the shaft l8 and extends rearwardly therefrom in position to engage notch 20 of lever 2| when the lay is back of about its mid position.

The lever 2| is mounted so thatits notched end 20 may swing rearwardly to the rearwardmost position assumed by dagger I9 but may not swing forwardly beyond a point determined by stop 22. A spring 23 urges the lever 2i toward the stop 22. The lever is incapable of verticalmovement. Thus, when the lay moves rearwardly to about its mid position, dagger l9 engages notch Zil and the members I! and fiiter iii are thereby locked in position to positively hold the reed structure against any rearward movement relative to the lay. The reed structure remains locked while the lay completes its rearward movement and moves forwardly to about its mid position, during which time the shuttle nor-' mally makes its flight from one side of the loom to the other. As the lay continues its forward movement the dagger [9 leaves notch 20 and the members ll, fiiter l6 and reed ID are thereby released to permit them to be moved rearwardly by a trapped shuttle. The operation of dagger l9 and lever 2| is similar to the operation of corresponding parts shown in patent to Lindsjo, No. 1,956,075.

A link 24 and spring 25 act to yieldingly hold the filter l6 rearwardly after the latter has been moved to the position shown by Fig. 3. A part 26 on the shaft l8 thereupon actuates stop rod 1 and effects the stopping of the loom in the usual manner.

In addition to the above described reed looking and releasing means, I have provided means for yieldingly resisting rearward movement of the reed at the time of beat-up, i. e., at the time when the lay is approaching front center and the reed is in the act of beating the filling thread into the fell of the cloth. Such means, according to the present invention, is constructed and arranged to be operative only when the lay is well forward of that predetermined point where the dagger it) leaves the notch The resulting combination of means permitting the reed to yield at the time of beat-up with looking and re leasing means which prevents any relative movement of the reed during the time the shuttle is in flight, is believed to be novel.

In the embodiment shown on the drawings, means for yieldingly holding the reed at time of beat-up includes arms 2'! which are fixed to shaft l8 and extend forwardly therefrom, and yielding stops conveniently consisting of levers 23 actuated by springs such as spring 29. The levers 28 are pivoted to the loom frame as at 39 and include stop portions 3| which extend rearwardly from the pivots. The stop portions 3| are so positioned that they are engaged by the top sides of the arms 21 as the lay moves'forwardly to beat-up position. Each lever 28 is pivoted at its forward end to a vertical rod 32 which is slidably supported in a bracket 33. The spring 29 is compressed between the bracket 33 and adjustable nuts 34 on the rod 32, whereby the spring yieldingly holds the stop portion 3| cf the lever downwardly to a position determined by a collar 35 on the rod 32.

The rearward pressure on the reed in at the time of beat-up is transmitted through the fliter i6, supporting members 11, shaft is and arms 2? to the yielding stop levers 28. The stop portions 3! of the levers will yield upwardly to allow a slight rearward yielding of the reed, thereby accomplishing the same result accomplished by other types of yielding-reed mechanisms. The present yielding devices are, however, operative only when the lay is at or near front center and release the reed to control of the lever 2! as the lay moves rearwardly. The combination of reed controlling devices thus provides a locking of the reed against any movement relative to the lay, a substantially complete release of the reed, and a yielding support of the reed, at diiferent times in each cycle of movement of the lay.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodi ment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a fly shuttle loom, a reciprocating lay, a shuttle, a reed mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative. thereto, means for locking said reed against rearward movement during the time the shuttle is in flight, said means releasing said reed at a predetermined point in each forward beat or" the lay to thereby permit the reed to be moved rearwardly by a trapped shuttle, and spring means constructed and arranged to yieldin-gly resist rearward movement of said reed only at the time of beat-up, said reed being otherwise free to yield rearwardly at the time of beat- 2. In a fly shuttle loom, a reciprocating lay, a

shuttle, a reed structure mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative thereto, means including a fiiter engaging said reed structure for positively locking the latter against rearward movement during the time the shuttle is in flight, said means releasing said reed structure at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay to thereby permit the reed structure to be moved rearwardly by a trapped shuttle, and spring means constructed and arranged to yieldingly hold said fliter against said reed structure only at the time of beat-up, said reed structure being otherwise free to yield rearwardly at the time of beat-up.

3. In a fly shuttle loom, a reciprocating lay, a shuttle, a reed structure mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative thereto, rigid supporting members pivoted on the lay for movement about an axis extending parallel to the lay, a fliter fixed to said members and supported thereby in engagement with said reed structure, means for locking said members to thereby lock said reed structure against movement during the time the shuttle is in flight, said means releasing said members at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay to thereby permit the reed structure to be moved rearwardly by a trapped shuttle, and spring means acting on said members to yieldingly hold said fliter against said reed structure only at the time of beat-up, said reed structure being otherwise free to yield rearwardly at the time of beat-up.

4. In a fly shuttle loom, a reciprocating lay, a shuttle, a reed structure mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative thereto, a rotatable shaft extending lengthwise of the lay, rigid supporting members fixed to said shaft and extending upwardly therefrom in back of the lay, a

fliter fixed to the upper ends of said members and supported thereby in engagement with said reed structure, means for locking said shaft against rotation to thereby lock said reed structure against movement during the time the shuttle is in flight, said means releasing said shaft at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay, arms fixed to said shaft and extending forwardly therefrom, and spring means for yieldingly resisting rearward movement of said reed structure only at the time of beat-up, said spring means comprising yielding stops positioned to be engaged by said arms only when the lay is forward of said predetermined point.

5. In a fly shuttle loom, a reciprocating lay, a shuttle, a reed structure mounted on the lay for rearward movement relative thereto, rigid supporting members pivoted on the lay for movement about an axis extending parallel to the lay, a jfiiter fixed to said members and supported thereby in engagement with said reed structure, means for locking said members to thereby lock said reed structure against movement during the time the shuttle is in flight, said means releasing saidmembers at a predetermined point in each forward beat of the lay, arms fixed with respect to said members and extending forwardly from the pivotal axis thereof, and spring means engaging said arms for yieldingly resisting rearward movement of said reed structure only at the time of beat-up, said spring means comprising yielding ly mounted stop levers positioned to be engaged by said arms only when the lay is forward of said predetermined point.

. EDGAR LEE ZACI-IARY. 

